Tanzania - Climb Kilimanjaro by Machame-route - individual

A trip to Kilimanjaro is an exciting and challenging experience that anyone who likes a good adventure should do. Together with our expert guides and like-minded companions you will share a common goal of reaching the summit of Africa's highest mountain. On our Machame climb we spend 7 days on the mountain, giving your body time to adjust to the altitude and the best chances for you to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro.

The Machame route on Kilimanjaro is one of the most beautiful and diverse routes to summit of Africa's highest mountain. The ascent follows a more natural, than man-made route to the top of Africa. The trail winds its way up through five climate zones and along the way you will have breathtaking views of Kilimanjaros three peaks, Shira, Kibo and Mawenzi.

We spend one more day on the mountain than many other touroperators and thereby we increase the success rate significantly. You will participate in an international group led by a very experienced English speaking tour leader with extensive experience on Kilimanjaro. In addition, we have a team of local porters and kitchen staff to ensure your comfort and safety.

Climb Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain

Join an international group of like-minded companions

Beautiful and challenging trek on Kilimanjaro's finest route

7-days trek

Visit the Shira Plateau and Lawa Tower

High success rate

Stand on top of Uhuru Peak, 5,895 meters (19,340ft.)

Certified expert English speaking Lead Guide

Through the rainforest and moorland to rocky desert and the snow-capped peaks

Customer reviews

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Day 1Arrival Moshi

Check-in at our hotel in Moshi during the day. If required we organise an arrival transfer from the airport, but the transfer is not included in the price. The hotel is located in the outskirt of Moshi, approximately 45 km from the airport. After check in and dinner you will meet your fellow group member at the pre-climb briefing for the coming trek up Kilimanjaro.

Day 2Machame Gato to Machame Camp

Your leader and head guide will meet you at the reception at the hotel and the group drive to the Machame park gates. Driving time is approximately 40 minutes. The Machame gates are located at an altitude of 1800m above sea level, at the southwestern slopes of Kilimanjaro. We will complete all the necessary registration formalities and you will meet the rest of our support team of porters, guides and kitchen team. Todays trek takes us through Kilimanjaro’s rain forest zone. A magical place filled with resident flora and fauna, and interesting scenery along our route. We will have a Picnic stop en route and continue trekking to Machame Campsite at (3,000m/9,842 ft). Todays trekking will take about 5-7 hours. We will have our Dinner in the dining tent at the campsite. Overnight in Machame Camp

Day 3Machame Camp to Shira Camp

After breakfast we will set off towards the Shira plateau. We are leaving the forest behind us, and enter the moorland zone, where temperatures can drop to below zero degrees Celsius. We walk along a ridge of volcanic rock with a short steep scramble up a rock ‘wall’ close to the plateau. We will have our picnic lunch at Picnic rock (3,600m/ 11,800ft.) and continue past Shira caves up to Shira Campsite at (3,800m/12,465ft). Fra the camp we have a great view to the Shira Ridge to the West and we can see the three pinnacles pointing skywards, Shira Needle, Shira cathedral and East Shira hill. To the east us we will see Kibo’s Western Breach and its glaciers. On clear days we should be able to see Mount Meru in the horizon. Todays trek takes approximately 5-7 hours. We will have our Dinner at the campsite. Overnight at Shira Camp.

Day 4Shira Camp to Barranco Camp

After breakfast our route out of Shira turns sharply east and directly towards Kibo and it’s Western Breach. Today we will walk up in the Alpine zone. This part of the mountain receives limited water, have zone cold nights, but often-sunny days. We will climb steadily to a high point of (4,530m/14,862 ft). The high point is close to the famous Lava Tower with spectacular views of the surrounding cliffs and rock formations. We will have our picnic lunch along the route and spend the last few hours of the day, descending steeply down to the great Barranco Valley to an altitude of 3,950m/12,959 ft, only 150m/500 ft higher than our last camp. None the less, we have climbed and descended 680m/2,230 ft. This is the perfect way to adjust you body to the altitude and the decreasing oxygen levels. Todays trek usually takes about 5-7 hours. Dinner and overnight at Barranco Camp.

Day 5Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

Today is designed to assist the acclimatisation process further. A steep climb up the Barranco Wall leads us along a trail on the southeastern side of Kibo, with super views of the southern ice fields. We will remain in the Alpine zone al day, but with the terrain changing to scree, with very limited flora or fauna. A gain of only 300m for the day with picnic lunch en-route up to Karanga campsite at 4,200m/13,779 ft. We will be at the camp early in the afternoon and todays trek is only 4 hours, but it is important to get some rest, as there are some really long days ahead of us. Dinner and overnight in Karanga Camp.

Day 6Karanga Camp til Barafu Camp

We leave Karanga Camp and walk along an easy path on compact scree and steep parts over more rocky slabs. After Karanga Valley our trail joins the Mweka trail, which we will use for descent the following day on the way down from the summit. We turn left at the junction, heading up towards Barafu camp at 4,600m/15,091 ft. We will have our picnic lunch en-route. The trek from Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp usually takes about4-5 hours. Once we reach the campsite, the cook will serve an early dinner around mid-afternoon and we highly recommend getting some sleep right after dinner, as our guides will wake us for the summit attempt around Midnight. Overnight Barafu Camp.

Day 7Summit day. Barafu Camp - Uhuru Peak - Mweka Camp

At midnight (00:00am) you will be woken by our guides and it is time to prepare yourself for the summit attempt. The early start allows us to reach the summit around sunrise, and still give us plenty of time to descend in the daylight. We will walk in single line, ascending in a zigzag pattern through the scree and entering the arctic zone of the mountain. The climb to Stella Point is probably the most amazing part of the Machame route. We walk with our headlight through the darkness and we can really feel the altitude. There are no technical difficulties, but we have many hours ahead of us. Keep pushing forward and consult the guides if your not feeling well. The guides are trained to notice symptoms of mild, medium and high altitude sickness and will be able to advise you if you can continue ascending, or if you should stop and descend. Pure determination will take you to Stella point at 5,730m/18,799 ft. We can take a short rest here and if you are still feeling well, we continue to Uhuru Peak at 5,895m/19,340 ft. We are passing through spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs. Once we arrive at Uhuru Peak, we are at the top of Africa, and it is time to a quick photo shoot. It is a cold and windy place and after 10 – 15 minutes we start our decent to Mweka.

The terrain feels very lose underneath your feet and you may find it just as hard to descend as you did on the way up. Walking poles comes in handy here and the guides can also teach you to slide down. We follow the same trail we used on the way up until we reach Barafu Camp. When we are back in the camp, we will have a nice hot lunch, before we continue down to the Mweka junction. From here we take the trail leading to Mweka.We descend down through the moorland until we reach the Mweka Camp at 3,000m/9,842 ft. The trek down from Barafu to Stella usually takes about 5-6 hours. The walk to Uhuru a further 1-2 hours. And the descent to Mweka around 5-7 hours, so all together a very long day! Dinner will be served at Mweka Camp and now it is time to enjoy a well-earned rest for the night. Overnight Mweka Camp.

Day 8Mweka Camp to Moshi

The final day on Kilimanjaro. After breakfast we leave Mweka camp and walk south through the forest down to Mweka Gate. Once we reach the gate, our support team will be waiting for us to congratulate us on the climb and to say goodbye to the group. This is the perfect time to distribute tips and gratuities. Don’t be surprised if the guides and porters start singing the ‘Kilimanjaro song’. The car is also waiting for us to take us back to our nice hotel. After 6 days in the wilderness, it is time to enjoy a nice warm shower Rest of the day for relaxation a dip in the pool or a nice massage. Tonight we will have our farewell dinner. Overnight at hotel.

Day 9Departure Moshi

Breakfast. Check-out. End of our services

Price includes

7 days/6 nights trek on Kilimanjaro by the Machame route sleeping in tents.

Practical info

If you wish to sleep in single tent, there will be an addition fee - contact us for info on this.

Transport

It is your responsibility to arrive in Moshi before 6.pm on the arrival day in the itinerary.

We can help you with extra nights in Moshi or transfers from Kilimajaro Airport (JRO)

Kilimanjaro info

Kilimanjaro, 5.895m are the highest mountain in Africa and the World's tallest freestanding mountain. It is also the fourth highest mountain of "The Seven Summits" - the highest mountains on the seven Continents. Kilimanjaro is a sleeping volcanic and the part of the mountain above 2,700 meters is a designated national park. Kilimanjaro is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Routes on Kilimanjaro

There are six traditional routes to the summit of Kilimanjaro: Marangu , Machame, Rongai, Lemosho, Shira and the Umbwe route. Additionally, there are a few other rarely used routes. Each route has its own character. The Machame route is one of the most varied and finest routes on Kilimanjaro. The ascent follows a more natural than man-made trail towards the top of Africa. In order to give you the best possible experience, we have organized the trip with seven days on the mountain. This will give you a much better acclimatization and reduces the risk of altitude sickness significantly, thus increasing the chance to get to the summit.

Trip grading

Kilimanjaro is not a technically difficult mountain but the altitude and the lack of oxygen affects the body's performance. It varies from person to person how quickly the body become accustomed to the altitude, but the trek is planned to give you the best possible chance of success.

The Machame route on Kilimanjaro is Grade 4-5. The first days up the mountain are grade 4, but the summit day are long and hard, and therefore we given it Grade 5. The trek up Kilimanjaro is a demanding trek with daily walks of 6-8 hours in varied terrain. The trek requires good physical condition and endurance. You can read more about our grading system here.

Acclimatization and altitude sickness

A good acclimatization and adapting to altitude is crucial for success on Kilimanjaro. We see many tour operators that offer shorter (and cheaper) treks with 5 and 6 days on the mountain. This is not recommendable. Acclimation takes time! On this trek we spend 6 nights and 7 days on the mountain and it makes a huge difference. As a very important part of the acclimatization program, we have included an extra night at Barranco Camp at 3,900 meters altitude (12,795ft.). This extra day we use to go up to 4,200m/ 13,780ft. Go high and sleep low is the optimal way to acclimatize. The best way to prevent altitude sickness is to go slowly and drink plenty of water. Most people who climb Kilimanjaro will experience mild symptoms of altitude sickness such as headache, lack of appetite. If you experience severe symptoms such as severe headache, dizziness, vomiting and extreme fatigue, it is important to inform the guide and we will get you down to lower altitude. To increase safety on the mountain, we have additional guides on the trek, which can assist guests down the mountain, while we ensure, that the rest of the group coming out on top.

A day on the trail

A typical day on Kilimanjaro begins with a wake-up call between 06:00 and 6:30 in the morning. When we had breakfast, we pack the luggage and start walking around at. 8.00 - 8:30. It is important that you go at your own pace and take the breaks you need. At around 11:30 to 12:00 we have our lunch break, before we continue on the afternoon trek. We will arrive at the camp mid-afternoon and we will have plenty of time to relax. Dinner is served at approx 18pm.

Climate and best time to climb Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro can be climbed year round, but the weather varies. January to March is a great time often with clear sky and mild temperatures. April to May is the rainy season with many clouds and lot of rain. From June to August it is colder, but nice clear weather. September and October will be warmer, often with fog on the lower part of the mountain, but usually nice weather over 3,000m / 9,842ft. November and December are usually clear weather, but with the risk of a shower every now and then.

Variations of this trip

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